Slugterra: Out Of The Shadows
by Libra's Lover
Summary: A girl with a special ability and the Shane boy meet. When he finds out her darkest secret, he doubts her loyalty. After she had proven herself a tragic happening occurred. They must help each other Out Of The Shadows. Rated T. Eli X OC
1. Chapter 1

Me: Hey guys! Wow, it's good to be back!

Eli: Finally, a story about Slugterra!

Me: Yeah, I love that show :)

Eli: Are you sure it's not me you love? :P

Me: Glares

ENJOY THE STORY!

CHAPTER 1

"I need to keep you hidden, so that they won't corrupt your mind," my father said. "But Daddy…" No buts, Lilly. The Shane man will hurt you. He will take you away from me. Do you want that?" I shook my head wildly and a tear slid over my cheek. "Good girl. I want you to have this." He handed me a very rare slug: an Enigmo slug. "It shall be your protector when I'm not around." I nodded. Since then, I had obtained a best friend.

It has been five years since I got E-Mo, my Enigmo slug. I'm fifteen now, and I'm finally allowed to go out into the wonderful world that is Slugterra. "Be careful now. If anyone wants to sling slugs with you…" "I tell them no. I got it, Dad, don't worry," I said and gave my dad a kiss on his cheek. "Atta girl, Lilly. E-Mo, you take care of her, okay?" E-Mo saluted my father and I giggled. "Bye Dad! I'll be home when you want me to!" I said, running off and waving at my dad. "Which will not be too late!" he called after me. I love my dad, but sometimes he can be a bit overprotective. Besides, now that I'm out of the lair more, he could continue with his project. I don't know what it is; he doesn't want to tell me. I went to the garage and looked for a mecha I wanted. "I want… you," I said and pointed at a white tiger mecha with glowing turquoise stripes. Her eyes glowed the same as her stripes and I got on her back. "You ready, E-Mo?" He nodded and I looked down my black leather suit at the capsules tied around my waist like a belt. "You guys ready?" Aqua, my Aquabeek, Archie, my Arachnet, Silver, my Boon Doc and Bublé, my Bubbaleone grinned at me. I put the white helmet on and charged out of the garage. I headed in the direction of town. I steadied the pace to a walk as I entered the slinging grounds. Everyone stared in awe and I don't know why. I stopped where all the mechas were parked and slid off. I took off my helmet and my blonde, almost white, hair fell to my hips. I hung the helmet on a hook on Tigress's side. I walked through between the people. Like my dad always said, "Have confidence or you don't have anything at all." I walked to the sign-up sheet and wrote my name: Lillian Blakk. When people saw my name they gasped. I shrugged and walked out of the crowd to the first arena. "Dean Hobbit will be slinging against Lillian Blakk. Please, take the positions." I stood ready and waited for my opponent. He got onto his rock. He was big; I hope I'll make it. I lined up my blaster at shoulder height, like Daddy taught me and when the announcer said "Sling!" Dean shot a Frostcrawler at me. I shot Bublé, my Bubbaleone and she froze rock solid. Dean laughed, but Bublé still travelled pretty fast and the frozen Bubbaleone hit him off the rock. E-Mo cheered. "It's not over yet, E-Mo." He jumped into his capsule and I shot Dean just as he wanted to get up. E-Mo hit him and he became really dizzy, fell down and couldn't get up again. My two slugs returned to me. "Lillian Blakk is the winner!" I heard applause coming from around me. Dean got up and walked to me, still a little dizzy. "Wow, you're good. Take your pick," he showed all his slugs to me. I could feel he had a very special bond with the Arachnet. "I know you're gonna pick him, right?" Dean looked at the Arachnet sadly. "No, keep your Arachnet. I don't know how I would be able to live without E-Mo." I gestured to the little Enigmo slug on my shoulder. "Whoa, they're like SUPER rare!" I smiled and looked his slugs over again. "How about you, little guy?" I held my hand out to a little Frightgeist. He hopped into my hand excitedly. "Thanks Lillian. You know, you're definitely not like your father." I looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" Dean shook his head and walked away quickly. I looked at his back while he walked away for a minute before shrugging and looking back at the Frightgeist. "Hey there, little fella. How about I call you Knight? You like that?" Knight chirped excitedly and I laughed. He hopped into a capsule, along with an unfrozen Bublé. I walked to a bench to wait for my next match. I don't know why my dad doesn't want me to do this. But if I come home with a Frightgeist tonight, he'll sure as heck be convinced to let me slug. "Hey, can I join you?" I looked up to see a well built attractive boy about my age. He had baby blue eyes and navy blue hair. "Sure, take a seat," I gestured next to me. He looked very familiar. "What's your name?" he asked me. "I'm Lillian. You are?" "Eli, nice to meet you," he said with a smile. Then he looked shocked. "What? Is there something wrong?" I asked, suddenly very nervous. "You have an Enigmo slug!" he exclaimed. "I have one too!" He pulled out his Enigmo slug. "Oh my Fandango! That's so cool! This is E-Mo. What's your name, little guy?" I asked Eli's slug. He chirped. "Whoa, that's like a letter away from mine. Nice to meet you, Mo!" Eli looked at me with fascination. "What?" I asked, shying away. "You understand slugs. You… understand… slugs," he said amazed. "Shh, you can't tell _anyone_! Please, my dad will kill me." He put his right hand on his heart. "I swear I won't even breathe a word of this." I smiled at him. "Eli Shane, please report to arena four. Eli Shane, report to arena four." "That's my cue. See you later!" He ran off. My body became numb. _Shane? Eli Shane? _That's Will Shane's son! The man who tried to get rid of my father! Suddenly I felt like I had a near-death experience. "Lillian Blakk, report to arena two. Lillian Blakk, report to arena two."

Two matches later and two more slugs, a Dirt Urchin and a Fandango, I am almost at the end. So is Eli. I've been avoiding him since I figured out his identity. But if he wins the last match, I will have to sling against him. "Winner! Eli Shane!" My eyes widened. Shoot! Now I have to take him on! "Eli Shane and Lillian Blakk, please report to the final arena. Eli Shane and Lillian Blakk." Now he knows who I am as well. Maybe it'll intimidate him. He stood across from me and he looks mad. Nope, not intimidated. Mad. I took a deep breath. "Sling!" Eli shot an Armashelt slug first. "Go Archie!" I shot my Arachnet and it shot the Armashelt back at Eli. He dodged at the last moment. He gritted his teeth and put another slug into his blaster: a Flatulorhinkus. I blasted Bublé at it and it engulfed the reeking slug. When Bublé deflated, it blew the stinky gas back to Eli and he was caught off guard and coughing his lungs out. "Now, Knight!" I shot Knight at Eli and when it hit him, Eli started screaming horribly and ran into the tunnel he came in through. "Winner! Lillian Blakk!" Knight, Bublé and Archie came back and hopped into their capsules. I ran out of the arena and headed for my mecha. I put my helmet on again and made sure all of my slugs were on me. I started my mecha and raced off home.

I walked into the lair and heard voices talk in my dad's office. I leaned against the door and listened. "When do you plan on doing this, Dr Blakk?" "The Ghouling process should start immediately. I tested it on a Frostcrawler first. Look." I looked through the keyhole. My dad picked up a deep red capsule and in it was a terribly twisted version of a Frostcrawler. It was more vicious, with sharp teeth and more aggression. "I call it 'the Frostfang'." My dad laughed evilly. My slugs chirped worriedly and my dad's head shot to the door. I backed away and ran up to my room. I shut the door. All my slugs sat on my bed. "What has he done to that poor slug?" I asked myself. Was that what Dean meant by I'm not like my dad? A tear left its mark on my cheek. E-Mo snuggled my neck and the rest nestled up against my leg. "You guys shouldn't end up like that. If he wants you, hide or attack," I told my slugs and they nodded. There was a knock on my door. "Hide!" I whispered and they all scattered to find a hiding spot. I wiped my cheeks clear of the salty substance. "Come in!" My dad entered the room. "Hello, Lilly. How was your day out?" "Amazing. I learned so many new things. I even got you something," I said and reached into my backpack. I pulled out a round black locket with a picture of me and my dad in it and gave it to him. "Lilly, it's beautiful. Thank you," he kissed my temple and said goodnight. "Goodnight Dad." He closed the door and I flopped back onto my bed. "What am I going to do?" I fell asleep with the slugs lying in the crook of my neck.


	2. Chapter 2

Me: Scusa Moi, for being late!

Eli: Took you long enough...

Me: *Waves blaster* I will use this...

ENJOY!

I was at the slinging arenas again. This time I only hung out. "Hey you!" I turned around and saw a redhead storming me. "What did you do to Eli yesterday?!" "Look, I don't have time right now. I need to find a way to stop my dad!" I pushed past her and walked to a pretty fountain. I sat on the edge and rested my head in my hands. "Stop your dad from doing what?" The redhead emerged from the crowd. "Do I know you?" I asked her. "I'm Trixie. Trixie Sting. You must be Lillian Blakk." We shook hands. "Yeah, and I need some help." "What's up?" "My dad is doing this project. Last night I found out it involved turning slugs into the pure essence of evil. They're called Ghouls," I explained. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "We have to get Eli!" Without another word, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the mechas.

We arrived at a cute little dome-like hideout. "Eli, open up! It's Trixie!" The door slid open and Trixie pulled me in. Eli shut the door. When he saw me, an expression of hatred flitted across his face. "What is _she_ doing here?" "Eli, get over it. It was just a Slug-Out!" Trixie exclaimed in frustration. "Why are you standing up for her? She's Blakk's daughter!" "And she wants to fight against him! Tell him what you told me, Lillian," Trixie looked at me and so did Eli. "My dad is doing this project. Last night I found out it involved turning slugs into the pure essence of evil. They're called Ghouls," I repeated. Eli's eyes widened. Then they narrowed. "Why should we believe you?" I angrily took my backpack off my back and zipped it open. I took out the red capsule I stole out of my dad's office this morning. The Ghoul inside was going nuts. "Believe me now, Shane?" He looked at the slug. Sadness flickered in his blue eyes. They turned back to normal. "How do we know this isn't just a trap?" I snapped. "Get off your high horse, Shane! I want to help! Not create more of these Ghouls! But if you won't help me, I guess I'll deal with my dad myself!" I put the capsule back and threw the door open. I stormed outside. E-Mo chirped. "No, I will NOT calm down! He needs to get over himself and realize I'm talking the truth!" I punched the tree next to me. It cracked. "Just because I'm his daughter, doesn't mean I'm exactly like him, E-Mo." E-Mo sighed. I looked at my bleeding knuckles. I sighed as well and got onto Tigress. "Lillian, wait!" Trixie called. I looked at her. "What does it matter if Eli believes you or not? I believe you!" she said. "Thanks Trixie. But I need everyone if I am to stand up against my dad and the monsters he creates." I turned my mecha around. I took off into the forest towards home.

In my room, I took the Ghoul out again. It was horrifying. A slug so manipulated, so… _changed_… I shook him out of the capsule and my slugs hid behind me. The Ghoul growled and tried to attack me. Silver, my Boon Doc, protected me and they came into a fight. "Stop it!" I cried. When the fight finally broke up, Silver was injured, but the Frostcrawler was back to its old self. "Silver!" I held him under the running tap to wash off the white slug blood. I then wrapped him up to stop the bleeding. I looked at the Frostcrawler. "Silver, you healed him! I know you were a healer and all, but I didn't know you could turn Ghouls into normal slugs!" I said happily and Silver smiled weakly at me. "Don't worry. You'll be okay Silver. Just rest." I put him on a pillow on my end table and closed him up with a piece of cotton. My communicator beeped and I turned it on. "Trixie?" "Lillian, I convinced Eli to give you a chance!" I smiled mentally. "Wow, thanks," I said. "No problem! Where's the Ghoul?" "My Boon Doc cured it! Can you believe it?" "Seriously? Hey, Eli! We found a cure for the Ghouls!" "Really?" His voice actually sounds… hot. Wait, what am I saying?! "Yeah, it's the Boon Docs! Lillian discovered it!" There was silence. "You know, I have to get going Trixie. I think my dad called me." Trixie sighed. "Okay, we'll talk later. See ya." I turned off the communicator and put it on my blue bed. I sighed sadly. What does Trixie see in me that Eli doesn't? I plopped down against the many pillows. I looked outside. It's getting dark. Well, not much to do now except sleep. I closed my eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

The next day I took my slugs for a walk. In the park I sat on the edge of the fountain and opened my book I'm busy reading. Aqua and Silver played in the water, while Archie and Knight were busy in the trees. Bublé and Fang, the Fandango, were chasing each other on the grass and Dusty, the Dirt Urchin, and E-Mo just relaxed in a sunny spot on the grass. I felt a presence next to me and tensed. "Relax. It's just me," Eli said. "That's exactly why I'm tense." I closed my book. "What do you want?" I asked, facing him. "To give you a chance," he said. I looked at E-Mo. He climbed onto my shoulder. "Why now all of a sudden?" I asked. "It's not by choice. Trixie, Kord and Pronto think you're different." I sighed. "Fine," I agreed. "What do I have to do?" "You'll know when the time comes," he said and walked away. _Seriously, what is his problem?_

That same day I met up with the Shane gang. We were going to slug together. "Thanks for giving me a shot, guys," I said in the arena. "No problem," Trixie said and smiled. "Yeah, I believe that you shouldn't judge a person by looking at their family," Kord said. "Pronto agrees! Pronto also taught him that!" Pronto said proudly and I laughed. "Slingers, get into position!" I took my place. Well what do you know, I'm next to Eli. Two guys appeared opposite us. "They're working for Blakk!" Trixie exclaimed. "Lillian would know," Eli said and looked at me. I rolled my eyes. "I've never seen them before in my life. My dad's whole life is hidden from me." Eli stayed silent. Ha! I showed him.

It was halfway into the battle when one of the Ghouls paralyzed Eli. When the blonde guy, called Jake, shot another Ghoul slug at him, I jumped in front of Eli and fired my Frightgeist at him. A bit too late. The Ghouled Xmitter slug sent an electric wave through my body and I skidded across the floor. I felt very weak. Knight hit Jake and his partner in one hit. They both ran off screaming like little girls. Fortunately for us, the arena was closed, so they couldn't escape before we made our pick of their slugs. "Winners! The Shane gang!" Eli wasn't paralyzed anymore and he was at my side. "You just took a Ghouled Xmitter slug for me, Lillian! Thank you," he said. I smiled weakly at him from the ground. "Oh, Eli?" "Yeah?" He looked at me with worried eyes. "Take a good pick for me." I lost consciousness.

I woke up in my bed. How did I get in my bed? I looked around and spotted a new addition to my slug family: a little Hoverbug slug. She sat on my stomach. "Hey there, girl." I scratched her tiny head with my finger. "Do you have a name yet, little one?" She chirped. "Ellie? Cute," I said and smiled weakly. _Wow Eli, I never knew we were so much alike_.


	3. Chapter 3

Me: Wow! I'm surprised that you guys want this to go on! Thank you so much!

Eli: Yeah, but this is going to be quite a horrible chapter.

Me: What's a story without a little drama in it?

Eli: Don't be alarmed, just read, people...

ENJOY!

"Hi Lillian." "Hey, Eli," I looked at his face on the communicator. "How are you feeling?" "Better, thank you. Eli, you know you guys can call me Lilly, right?" Eli smiled. Oh my gosh, he's so gorgeous. _Snap out of it, Lilly! _"Thanks for Ellie." "No problem. Plus, she actually chose you." I looked at Ellie. She was playing tag with Knight. "So how are you doing?" I asked him. "I'm good, thanks." I smiled at him. Okay, maybe he wasn't all that bad. "Eli?" "Yeah?" "What was your dad like?" His eyes widened at the question for a moment. "I'm sorry. If it's too personal…" "No! Uh, no. It's just… you keep finding new ways to amaze me." I felt the blood in my cheeks boiling. He grinned at me. "He was… a hero. When he didn't protect Slugterra, he was at home with me. We would play baseball, have a few laughs. Oh and also throw my mom with water balloons." I giggled. "He is… was… great." My eyes pricked with tears. "Lilly, are you okay?" "I'm sorry, hang on a second." I put the communicator on my bed face-up and walked into the bathroom. I splashed my face with cold water. I returned and held the communicator in my hands. "Sorry about that," I said and sniffed accidentally. "Are you crying?" "Of course not. I never cry." I suddenly remembered the time I saw my dad weakened by Will Shane.

_Flashback_

_"You know Blakk, you think you can gain all the power just by contaminating Slugterra. Well I am going to end this once and for all!" I ran out from behind the tree and stood next to my kneeling father. "Daddy!" "Lilly! What are you doing here?" "I followed you." I turned to Will. "Please, don't hurt my daddy! I'll have nowhere to stay!" I started to cry. Will lowered his blaster and looked at me with sympathy. That's when my dad got the upper hand and got rid of Will Shane._

_End of flashback_

"Lilly! Why are you crying? Answer me, please!" I just noticed Eli had been trying to get my attention during the whole flashback. He looked worried. I don't deserve a friend like him. "Oh Eli, I'm so sorry!" I turned off the communicator and fell back against my pillows. It beeped again but I didn't answer it. I curled up into an unhappy little ball and my pillow got wetter with every tear that fell. My communicator wouldn't stop beeping and every time it beeped it showed a picture of Eli. My slugs all nestled up against me. They didn't like it when I was sad. Ellie curled up in the curve of my nose. I closed my eyes. They burned. I looked into the mirror on the opposite wall. My normally sky blue eyes were now pale with sorrow and my long bleach blonde hair didn't have that happy sheen anymore. My face was pulled into a frown of grief. Ellie tried to pull my forehead up to get rid of my puckered brow. It worked slightly, because I uttered a single low chuckle. My slugs perked up. "How could I ever tell Eli that I caused his father's demise?" I asked my slugs. Their smiles disappeared and they looked sadly at each other. Knight chirped and the rest looked at him and nodded at me. "Thanks, Knight. I will always be there for you guys too."

The next morning I woke early and decided to take my slugs to get them some treats. I dressed in a white short and a black shirt that showed off more of my tanned skin, like my stomach. I stepped into my sneakers and put on my capsule belt with two black and white blasters at my sides. I put my hair into a waterfall braid and walked outside to my Mecha. Someone caught my wrist and I spun around. "Going out to see your boyfriend?" my dad asked. "What? I don't have a boyfriend," I said defensively. "What about Eli then, huh?" I stiffened. The two guys from the arena must have told him. "I don't know who you are talking about." My dad leered at me. "If you want him to stay unharmed, Lilly, stay away from him. He's trouble." I hesitantly nodded, knowing I was caught. "Good girl. You need gold for town?" "No thanks. I'm all good." He nodded and walked inside. I sighed and climbed onto Tigress. I rode into town. I saw Eli and tried to get away before he saw me. "Hey, Lilly!" He waved. I ignored him. I just kept cruising through the streets. "Lilly?" He rode up next to me on his wolverine mecha. "Do I know you?" I asked. "Uh, it's Eli. The one you talked to last night." "Sorry, I don't recall an Eli." I drove faster. He gained quickly. "What is up with you, Lilly? You're acting weird." We were in the forest now. I stopped and made my mecha scan the perimeter. It was clear. "Look Eli, I'm sorry I have to ditch you. I'll explain tonight okay? Don't talk to me." I rode back into town, leaving a confused Eli behind.

Eli probably told the rest of the gang about the plan because not one of the members of the Shane gang spoke to me. I rode back home. "Dad, I'm home!" "Lilly! Glad to see you ditched the Shane boy," he said with a grin. "Yeah. I'm heading up to my room. My slugs are a bit tired." Right on cue they started to yawn in their capsules. "All right." I walked into the elevator and pressed floor number 50. As I went up, I looked at my little friends. "Thanks for helping me out back there guys." E-Mo chirped a 'you're welcome!' We arrived on my floor and I walked into my room and shut the door behind me. I sat on my bed and the slugs all gathered on their turquoise velvet pillow. I turned on my communicator and touched the picture of Eli. The screen showed _CALLING… _then _CONNECTED TO __**ELI SHANE**_. His face appeared on the screen. "Hey Eli." "Hey Lilly. What was up with today?" "My dad found out." "What?" "My dad found out about us slinging slugs together." "How?" "Those two guys at the arena, I guess." "Idiots." "He also said something else." He raised a brow that asked _do I want to know._ "He told me if I wanted to keep you unharmed, I should stay away from you." He was silent for a moment. I fell back against my pillows. "I don't get it. The feud was between our parents. Why keep us apart because of their fight?" I blushed when I saw him grinning at me. "I meant as a group." He smiled. Then that awful memory came back. I looked away when a tear slipped over my cheek. It's always when I see him that I cry. He looks so much like his dad. "Lilly, what's wrong? This happened last night too." Those images kept replaying in my mind. What would Eli do if I told him? "Lilly?" I looked back at the screen. "Eli, I need to tell you something and you may not like it." Eli looked a bit suspicious. "Tell me, Lilly." "I think I'm the reason your dad is… gone." "Why would you think that?" "I… I was little… I thought your dad was going to kill mine and I begged him not to. When he was distracted, my dad got the upper hand and… well…" Eli was silent again. "I'm sorry Eli." "Come to our hideout. Now." He disconnected and I saw coordinates flash on my screen. I sighed. I'm going to get the chewing out of a lifetime. All my slugs returned to their capsules and I went outside to my mecha. I drove off to where the coordinates led me. I arrived at the hideout and knocked on the door. Eli opened and I walked in. He shut the door behind me. What I thought was chewing out, was a hug instead. His arms folded around me tightly. My arms wrapped around his neck. He pulled me closer to him. I cried so hard into his shoulder that I didn't even notice how close our bodies were. "I-I'm so so-orry, Eli!" "Shh, it's okay. Shh, shh, shh." He led me to the couch and we sat down. He pulled me onto his lap and I rested my head on the soft spot between his neck and shoulder. He rubbed my back slowly. My arms were still around his neck. Without thinking about what I was doing, I kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Eli. You really are a true friend by letting this go," I said and held him tighter. "You were little, Lilly. You didn't know what your dad was doing was bad." My slugs squeaked and I shot up. "Eli, hide. NOW!" We both sprung up and Eli went to hide. I pretended to be searching for something. My dad burst through the door. "Lilly!" "Oh, hi dad!" "Don't you 'hi dad' me! I thought I told you to stay away from the Shane boy!" "I was searching his hideout for valuable slugs, Daddy! He's not here, so why waste a valuable opportunity?" My dad was silent. He wasn't buying it. "You'll be punished at home. A: for disobeying me and B: for lying to me. Now come!" He grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the hideout. I got on my mecha and drove home with my dad, a dreadful fear swelling in me.

I lied on the floor. How could he, my own father, do this to me? I stopped him before he could do worse, but… Thinking back on it made my tears spill more. My slugs crawled out from under my bed and came to my face. E-Mo chirped. "It's okay E-Mo. You guys couldn't do anything. He would've killed you in a heartbeat," I said in a hoarse voice. Ellie cooed against my neck. My communicator beeped. I stood up, still sore, and lied down on my bed. Since I couldn't sit, Knight brought my communicator to me and I turned it on. "Eli?" "LILLY?! Are you okay? What did he do to you? Are you okay?" I started to cry even more. "Lilly? Talk to me!" "Eli, y-you have to help m-me. I d-don't w-want to be here anym-more," I cried. "We'll come bust you out tonight." I smiled. "Th-thank you, Eli." He nodded. "Now, what did that freak do to you?" "I'll tell… y-you later, okay? It's…t-too hurtful to talk ab-bout it now." "All right. We'll come get you at 10p.m. sharp, okay?" I nodded. "Till then," I said. "Till then."


	4. Chapter 4

Me: Oh my slug! Guys, thanks so much for all the reviews! I'm glad you like the story so far! I got a really interesting suggestion from one of them, you know who you are!

Eli: I would love to hear her say that!

Me: It would be awesome yes... :)

ENJOY!

I had me and my slugs' things all packed into a duffel bag. It was 09:45p.m. I just really hoped Eli would be here on time. I sat on my bed and looked around my room. It looked much emptier now. I looked around in my duffel bag. Enough gold to last a lifetime, all my clothes and jewels and toiletries were all neatly packed. Also my most prized possessions. 09:55. Eli should almost be here. I stood at my window and looked out over the many types of greenery that was in the forest. I saw something move out of thee corner of my eye and looked down. There he was; my saviour. He looked up and I tossed my duffel bag down to him. He caught it and put it on my parked Mecha. He really thought of everything. He held his arms open for me to jump. Is he crazy? Oh well. Here goes nothing. I sat on the windowsill, took a deep breath and jumped. I closed my eyes mid fall. Strong arms wrapped around me and I opened my eyes again. "Hey Kord," I whispered and giggled. "Hey, that was supposed to be my catch," Eli whined. "Please, you couldn't catch a girl falling down from fifty storeys with those arms," Kord said and put me on my mecha. "Let's ride!" Eli said and we were off. I had to half stand as to not hurt myself down under any further. We arrived at the hideout. "Trixie will show you to your room. I'll bring your bag," Eli said. "Thanks." Trixie walked me in and showed me where everything and everywhere was. Eli put my bag on the comfy double bed in my new room. "Eli? Thanks for doing this. For everything." He pulled me into an embrace. "It's nothing."

After I unpacked and decorated, I went to take a shower. I felt dirty. Everywhere. After I scrubbed myself clean, I dressed in grey sweats and a light blue top. There was a knock at my door. "Come in!" Eli entered and closed the door. He sat on my bed. "Lilly?" "Yeah?" I asked a bit shakily, knowing where this was going. "What did he do to you?" I took a seat next to him. He took my hands. "Tell me." "He… molested me." His eyes widened. "Are you hurt? Did he… you know…?" "I'm a little hurt yes. But no, he didn't." He breathed a breath of relief and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back. When he pulled away slightly, we locked gazes. He leaned in and brushed my lips with his own. My eyes widened with surprise, but my lips had a mind of their own. Soon I leaned in deeper and my lips moved in a perfect rhythm with his. His right hand was behind my neck, pressing me in closer, and his left hand was on my right hip. Our eyes were closed. I heard a chirp noise and took my lips away from Eli's to look at my dressing table and saw E-Mo teasing me. Then I noticed Eli's lips moved to my neck. His right hand pushed me lightly and I lied down against the pillows. My heart was beating wildly against my breastplate. His right hand was stroking my thigh. He touched a purple bruise and I yelped. His eyes immediately filled with worry and he stopped the assault on my lips. "Lilly? Did I hurt you?" "It… wasn't… you…" I said between breathless pants. He looked down and saw my now uncovered legs were spotted with the purple bruises. The worry in his eyes was replaced with brutal anger. I cupped his face with my pale hands. "Eli, look at me." He didn't listen at first. "Look at me," I said sternly. His baby blue eyes locked with my moss green ones and they softened again. "I'm okay. I'm away from him. He won't hurt me again." Eli fell down next to me and pulled the covers over us both. We spooned and Eli wrapped his strong arm around my middle. My slugs nestled together on their turquoise velvet pillow. Eli kissed my head softly. "You shouldn't let anyone hurt you like that, Lilly. Didn't you have your slugs with you?" "My dad took my blasters. I told my slugs to hide; otherwise he would've killed them." Eli stayed silent. I cuddled deeper into his embrace. "I want to thank you, Eli," I said. I turned on my back to face him. He smiled at me and quirked an eyebrow. "What for?" "Being my hero." Okay, that sounded way less cliché in my head. He didn't seem to mind, though. He pressed his lips to my left cheek in a loving kiss. I smiled and closed my eyes. I heard him sigh and I turned on my side. I put my hand on his chest and he pulled me tighter against him. I curled up, listened to how my slugs 'awwwed' and gave a sigh of my own. Soon I was fast asleep.

My eyes flew open and I inhaled sharply as I shot up, panting. Eli woke and soon he was sitting next to me, rubbing my back slowly to soothe me. "Lilly, what's wrong?" "Eli, I'm so glad you're okay," I threw my arms around his neck and he wrapped his strong arms around me once again. "Why wouldn't I be, Lilly?" "I… I had a nightmare… of my dad doing the same thing to you as what he did to your dad." Eli was quiet again. I pulled away and looked out the window. The stars were still shining bright. If I were to guess, it was around one o' clock in the morning. When I looked back Eli was also staring out the window. I then realised he doesn't have a shirt on. I blushed slightly, but looked away to hide it from him. "I'm sorry if I upset you Eli. It's just… every time I see you, I think of what I did to Will." "Stop saying it's your fault, Lilly! You didn't do anything wrong!" I flinched at the harshness in his voice. I looked at him and was shocked at what I saw. He was leaning against the headrest, eyes shut tightly and tear tracks on each cheek. I situated myself on his lap with my knees at each of his sides and leaned my hands against his bare chest. I kissed the tears away and rested my forehead against his. With eyes still closed, Eli put his hands on my waist, trailed them up my sides, over my shoulders to cup my cheeks. I felt his warm breath on my lips. I smiled shyly and looked down. He surprised me by capturing my lips with a gentle kiss. It took me a couple of seconds to answer back his kiss. I leaned into it, but pulled away before it got too intimate. We smiled at each other. I scooted off his lap and lied down. He did he same. We stared at each other for a while before finally drifting off to sleep.

I woke again an hour later to the sound of crying. I opened my eyes and saw Eli's spot next to me was vacant. I sat up and looked around. I didn't see him anywhere. The sound was coming from outside. I put on a jacket and my pair of light blue slipper-boots, took a blanket and walked to the front door. I opened it and looked outside. No one's there. Then I heard the sound above me. I saw a ladder on my right and climbed it. Eli sat on the roof with his head resting on his arms which were on his knees. His shoulders shook. I said nothing. I put the blanket over his bare shoulders and sat down next to him. His shoulders stopped shaking, but he refused to lift his head up. I decided to put an arm around his shoulders. Apparently it was the right choice because he lifted his head (eyes closed tightly) and hugged me. He rested his head on my shoulder and I felt his tears sliding onto my bare shoulder, for my jacket was open. I hugged him back tightly. "Shh, shh, shh, it's okay, Eli," I said. "I just miss him… so much…" "I know you do. Just remember Eli, all your friends are here for you, including me, okay? We'll be here till we're dust. We'll never leave your side," I said, sounding like I wanted to convince myself. Would I ever go back to my dad? I looked at Eli. He looked wrecked. No. I would _never_ go back to that maniac. I kissed the top of Eli's head. I folded both my arms around him and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back just as tight. Even enclosed in his strong arms, I think I finally feel free.


	5. Chapter 5

Me: So sorry for the short chapter. Exams keep mixing in with my writing... But thank you for all your reviews!

Eli: This chapter is a little different from the rest, but you will see the tag below. Please be patient for the next chapter, for it will take some time to write!

_Okay, from this chapter forward on, if you see ***, it means a change in point of view. If you see ###, it means there is no P.O.V. Just to make things more dramatic and interesting. ;)_

ENJOY!

After the moment on the roof, Eli and I seemed much closer. I am happy about that. The mourning at dawn did him good. He looks better, happier even. He is helping Kord oil the Mechas. I brought them some iced tea. "Thanks Lilly!" Kord exclaimed and downed his entire glass in one gulp. "Ah, that hit the spot." Eli chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Thanks, love," he said sweetly with a loving smile. "Whoa, what's goin' on here?" Kord asked teasingly. I looked shyly at Eli and took Kord's glass. "I'm getting you some more iced tea," I said nervously and headed to the kitchen, leaving poor Eli behind to explain. I poured the liquid into the glass. Suddenly, I felt a bit faint. I missed the glass for a millisecond and pushed it off the counter. It shattered on the floor. I put the jug down before I drop it too. I went to get a rag when Eli came in. "Lilly, are you okay? What happened?" Something snapped. "It… it was an accident." Memories of last night flashed through my head. "I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me! I won't do it again!" I kept seeing my dad in front of me. I heard Eli's voice in the distance. My dad came closer. "Don't do this! Please, I'm sorry!" I kept backing away. I felt my cheeks getting wet. "Leave me alone!" I hit my head. Hard. Everything became black. I was drowning in shadows. When will it end? I am so sick of being mistreated and being told what to do! I'm so confused. I don't know what to feel. Can't I just DIE?! I deserve it! I killed Eli's dad! I let my dad abuse me! I am WEAK! I don't deserve the kindness of these people just because I can't fight for myself! I am so pathetic! AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH! I woke in my room in the hideout. My head was bandaged and my whole right arm had a deep cut in it. I slowly sat up and looked in the mirror. Everything was fine this morning. Eli told me it wasn't my fault. I shouldn't be feeling guilty. But I do! What can I do to just… forgive myself? Gah, my head… I stood up. My slugs weren't on their pillow. They must be with Eli. I walked to the door and rested my hand on the doorknob. I heard voices outside. "I'm really worried about Lilly. What happened in the kitchen was not normal. She needs help," Trixie said concernedly. "She keeps thinking what happened to my dad is her fault. Thing is, I think it's kind of hard to forgive yourself when you accuse yourself of something like that," Eli said. My body went numb. I groaned and shuffled back to my bed. I can't expect help from them anymore. I need to start to help myself. I unbound my head and put on clean clothes. I brushed my hair and looked out the window. I'm on my own from now on. E-Mo appeared on my windowsill. He chirped, but I shushed him. "Sorry, E-Mo. But I need a punishment to forgive myself. It's just how things work. You don't tell anyone where I went, okay?" E-Mo looked like he would cry. "Don't cry, my little friend. I'll be back before you know it, okay?" E-Mo jumped onto my shoulder and snuggled me. It would be the last for a while, so I let him snuggle me for a long while before I put him on the pillow and I jumped out the window. I then headed for the jungle.

"E-Mo, where's Lilly?" I asked the blue slug. He shrugged. When I came into her room, her bandages were on the floor and her bed was just an empty space. The window was open. "Eli, is she okay?" Trixie asked me. "I don't know. She's not in here," I said tonelessly. "You don't think she went back to her dad, do you?" "She would never go back to him," I said, suddenly angered. How dare they doubt her loyalty? "Eli, it happens. No matter what the dad does to his daughter, she will always love him enough to return if she ever went away," Trixie said. "It's not that I don't trust her. She's been through much and she's confused. Maybe we should just wait and let her sort things through," Trixie suggested. "And let her be killed by Blakk? No way. I personally vowed to protect Lilly after she had protected me. I'm going to look for her," I said and grabbed my backpack. "Fine, then we're coming with you," Kord said. "Glad you're on board. Let's ride."

###

Eli and the gang searched for Lilly day and night, only occasionally stopping to set up camp. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and there was still no sign of Lilly. Eli seriously missed her, along with all of her slugs who howled (or whatever they do) each night for her to return. One night, Eli lied in his tent. A tear came from the outer corner of his left eye. _Why did you go away, Lilly?_ he asked mentally. _Why did you leave?_ A few weeks on, Trixie lost it. "Eli, the girl needs some space! If she wanted to, she'd have gone back to the hideout by now, don't you think?!" she yelled and Eli's eyes widened. Trixie cooled off a bit. "What I meant to say was, we're tired Eli. We tried to find her when she doesn't want to be found. Just give her time." "It's been four months, Trixie. I miss her so much; it feels like a piece of my heart is missing. After my dad, I don't want to lose another person this close to me," he said sadly. "I'm not going to lie and say I know how you feel, Eli, but we need to head back. Please." Eli looked at his friends. They looked exhausted. "Okay. We'll head back. But only for a short while, because Blakk's place is the last we need to search."


End file.
